Santa Monica’s New Solar Powered LED Ferris Wheel

The Pacific Ferris Wheel at the Santa Monica Pier in California took her last spin on May 5th before crews dismantled the sun-faded behemoth piece by piece to make way for a shiny new wheel. And shiny it is, boasting 160,000 LED lights that will bring glittering visual performances to Santa Monica’s evening sky. The solar panels used for the old wheel will remain at the pier, providing clean energy for the 90-foot ride and its 800 passengers per hour.

The old wheel, shown in disassembly, has been auctioned off on eBay for over $130,000 dollars. The lucky recycler is Oklahoma City real-estate developer, Grant Humphreys. In time, Humphreys plans to incorporate the wheel into a mixed use residential community.

The new wheel, manufactured by Chance Morgan Rides, is a $1.5 million dollar investment for Pacific Park, debuting just in time for Santa Monica’s Memorial Day weekend festivities and the long California summer ahead. It’s use of LED lights will cut costs and energy consumption for the park, while a solar application generates up to 71,000 kilowatt hours of photovoltaic power.

The solar power thing is cool but the LED ferris wheel has been done (Wildwood , NJ) I\'m told that they\'re a nightmare to maintain. The manufacturer has alot of things to work out before he can call it a viable alternative to the old lighting system. Until then, the only green with the LEDs is the greenbacks going into their pockets for the never ending replacement parts.

Funny, I was just at Santa Monica pier for the Green Apple Fesitval on Earthday. I was promoting RideSearch.com - a free nationwide carpool website - when I noticed the ferris wheel looked a little blaise. The rest of the park has been renovated over the years. I wonder if the 1.5 MILLION DOLLARS will be made up by saving electricity. Maybe in 1.5 MILLION YEARS.